


Cal and Merrin Sitting in a Tree

by PrincessStarryKnight



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Crew as Family, Dirty Jokes, Dorks in Love, F/M, Falling In Love, First Dates, First Kiss, Healing, Hurt Cal Kestis, Kashyyyk, Love Confessions, Merrin takes care of Cal’s injuries, Merrin treating Cal's injuries, Mutual Pining, Nightsisters (Star Wars), Post-Canon, Post-Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25782664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessStarryKnight/pseuds/PrincessStarryKnight
Summary: The Mantis Crew gets to go back to Kashyyk for a small mission that they only need Cere for. Which means Cal has the chance to take Merrin to see the Origin Tree and the Shyyo bird like he said he would. But romantic tensions rise when Greez calls it a date.
Relationships: BD-1 & Cal Kestis, BD-1 & Merrin (Star Wars), Cal Kestis & Jaro Tapal, Cal Kestis/Merrin, Cere Junda & Merrin, Greez Dritus & Cal Kestis
Comments: 8
Kudos: 83





	Cal and Merrin Sitting in a Tree

"Mer it's really not that bad." Cal stresses to her.

Cere smirks from her seat in the cockpit when she hears Cal try to talk Merrin out of healing him. Every time they had a run-in with the Empire, Cal always insisted that he was fine and just a little "dinged up", and yet he always ended up sitting on the kitchen table with Merrin tending to his wounds.

The Nightsister was currently ignoring Cal's lies that he was fine as she ground up some herbs together with a mortar and pestle that Cal had bought for her at a market on one of the planets they had visited. The look of pure joy on her face when he had given her the gift back then was nowhere to be seen on her face now as she focused on making a potion as the _Mantis_ sped away through hyperspace from their latest encounter with the Empire.

"It doesn't even hurt that badly." Cal says.

Merrin grinds her pestle against the mortar harder and Cal got nervous. If he wasn't already hurt she'd probably hurt him herself.

She takes the ground up herbs and pours them into a small bowl. She adds water and then picks up Greez's special spoon and begins to mix it in the bowl. And unfortunately that was at the same time that Greez decided to come back to check on them.

"Hey is that my special spoon!" Greez exclaims.

Merrin looks up at him, still angry from Cal lying about his pain, causing the latero to flinch and crouch behind the couch for cover.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry." Greez stammers as he slowly picks his head back up from behind the couch to look at Merrin who was ignoring him in favor of stirring her potion. "I was just..uh..w-why my sp-spoon?"

"Because you said it had magic in it." Merrin says simply.

Cal couldn't help but let out a small snort in amusement when he remembers how Merrin had asked Greez what was so special about his spoon and in response he told her that he was surprised that as a Nightsister, she couldn't see the magic in the little things.

"Thus, I believe that by using this spoon I will be able to make a better potion to heal Cal's injuries." Merrin says and continues to stir her potion.

"Injuries?" Cal asks, shocked by her use of the plural tense. "Merrin it's just a few cuts and bruises and a little shoulder pain-"

"You _sprained_ your shoulder Cal Kestis!" Merrin reminds him. "You can barely move it and you're in pain every time you do!"

"I've had worse." Cal says nonchalantly and Merrin glares at him, making him gulp before he continues. "You really don't have to go to all of this trouble, it'll heal on it's own."

"It'll take too long to heal on it's own and that's your lightsaber arm. Who knows what we'll be facing when we leave hyperspace. You may need to fight sooner than your arm can heal." Merrin explains.

"Fair enough." Cal sighs, giving into Merrin's desire to tend to his injuries like he always does in the end.

He mostly kept to himself back on Bracca. It was dangerous work and he would get his fair share of injuries but he was used to hiding the pain and taking care of it on his own. He wasn't used to having a friend like Merrin who insisted on healing every little cut and bruise he would sustain from a fight. And he certainly wasn't used to this warm feeling he'd get in his chest every time she fussed over him, and the way his heart would pound every time her fingers touched his skin. And lately he'd been having thoughts about her that a Jedi shouldn't be having according to his late Master's teachings.

"Alright. I guess if it's for Cal, I'll allow you to use my good spoon." Greez says shyly from behind the couch.

"Aw that's so sweet of you Greez." Cere says from the cockpit while Cal smiles at him.

"Yeah, yeah but don't expect me to get sappy like this all of the time." Greez says and hops down from the couch and makes his way back to the cockpit.

Merrin lightly taps Cal's shoulder, prompting him to swivel in his seat and turn back to face her.

"You'll need to remove your shirt." Merrin instructs.

It wasn't the first time she'd ever asked him to remove his top to let her heal him. Most of their missions ended with him sustaining some sort of injury that needed healing. A fact that Merrin wasn't too thrilled with.

After unbuckling his chest plate, he held the hem of his shirt in his hands and tried to lift it over his head but winced.

"I figured as much." Merrin sighs before replacing his hands with hers, making the poor boy blush even more.

He tried not to focus too much on how delicate Merrin was being with him. Every little wince he made as she lifted his shirt had her stop and give him a look of concern before continuing to remove his shirt as gently as possible. The amount of care she took into minimizing his pain was endearing to him. He had spent so long learning to live with it, he had never met someone who was able to take it away. And not just because of her magick. Just being with her was enough.

Once his shirt was off Cal looks at Merrin's face and sure enough she was staring. His years of scrapping on bracca, doing heavy lifting as well as welding and other activities had helped keep him in shape. He wouldn't say he was totally ripped like some movie-star you'd see on the holonet or anything like that but he definitely had something to show for all of those years of hard work and now continued work fighting the Empire. And he swore he could see the faintest tint of pink on her cheeks as she gave him a quick once-over but she quickly looked away before he could tell for sure. Either way, the fact that she was looking made him puff out his chest a little more with newfound pride in what she thought of him.

Merrin picks up some of the salve she made in the bowl on her fingers and rubs it between them and he thumb as the green mist swirls around her and in her eyes. Cal watches her intently the whole time, curious about how she was able to manifest the Force in such a way, but that was a secret known only to her and her people and he would never want to feel obligated to share such precious knowledge with him if she didn't want to share.

She calls upon her sisters to grant her power to enchant the potion. The salve on her fingers starts to glow and Cal gasps once her fingers touch his skin over his wounded shoulder, and he feels the magick seep into his body. It was such a strange sensation, the salve felt warm as it spread over his injury, yet at the same time it left goosebumps on his flesh. It also stung a little bit as the green mist swirls up from the wound, but then once it was gone, so was the pain.

"How is that?" Merrin asks, her eyes turning back to normal and the mist disappeared.

Cal shrugs his shoulder a bit, stretching it and rolling it and smiles.

"Feels better than ever." Cal says and smiles at her.

"Good." Merrin says, smiling too. "That spoon really is good for something."

"I told you! But Cal I'm still mad at you for letting her use it! Now I've got to find another good spoon that won't bring my stew back to life when I cook with it!" Greez calls to them from the cockpit.

"I didn't know that was your good spoon!" Cal calls back to him.

"Liar!" Greez replies.

"He's not lying! I wanted to use it because it would make the potion stronger!" Merrin calls back to him.

"Yeah, she's the one that used your spoon, why are you mad at me Greez?" Cal asks.

"Because I'm too scared of her to be mad at her! So I'm blaming this one on you!" Greez shouts back, prompting everyone to laugh and Cal to roll his eyes.

"Alright, enough arguing over spoons. Let me take care of your other injuries." Merrin says and Cal's eyes widen as Merrin suddenly cups his chin and runs her thumb along a cut he had sustained under his lip from a Storm trooper that landed a lucky punch on him.

He can still feel her touch even after she had removed her fingers from under his lip to apply more salve and repeat the treatment.

When she touches him again with her magick, he feels like his mind is falling under her control from the spell. He knows that it's not her magick. But there is something about her face being so close to his as he heals her that's pulling him towards her, making him want to give himself to her in a way he knows a Jedi shouldn't. He knew he was falling for her, but he didn't think it would happen so fast that he wouldn't be able to stop himself to remind him that Jedi aren't supposed to get attached. He wasn't sure he could turn back at this point. And honestly, he didn't want to.

He wanted to let himself be close to her, which is why he felt himself leaning closer to her as she completes her spell. As the mist clears between them Merrin's warm brown eyes meet Cal's. she can sense that he's getting closer to her. And she lets him do it. She even begins to lean closer herself, as if they've both been put under the same spell and have the same thought in mind.

She gently places her hand over his heart and Cal covers his own with it. Merrin gasps from the touch. His hand felt calloused and rough from years of scrapping and Jedi training but the look in his eyes was so soft and gentle. In those eyes was a world of happiness and light she had never known, but desperately wanted to get to know better with him.

Just as the distance between their mouths began to close the ship lurches as the exit hyperspace and Cal finds himself lying back on the table with Merrin's head and torso on his chest as the sudden jolt had caused her to bend forward on top of him. He found that he was also holding her in his arms as he had instinctively grabbed her to keep her steady just as she had done for him.

"A-are you alright?" Cal asks her, slightly embarrassed by what had happened.

"Yes. I am alright." Merrin says and gives him a soft smile in return.

"Hey I don't know what you kids are doing back there, but we eat on that table!" Greez shouts.

Merrin and Cal stop smiling at each other and quickly scramble to stand up, both of them very flustered by Greez's comment.

"I was just finishing healing Cal's injuries!" Merrin calls back to them.

"Yep! I'm all better now!" Cal adds as he quickly pulls his shirt back on and goes to re-fasten the leather chest plate that he wore. "Thanks for fixing me up Merrin!"

"You are welcome Cal Kestis." Merrin says.

Cal smiles at Merrin as he finishes re-dressing himself and then BD-1 hops on his shoulder and beeps something that makes the tips of his ears burn just from the thought.

"No BD I can't do that!" Cal whispers to the droid. "How do you even know what kissing is anyway?"

BD-1 plays a holo-vid of two people kissing with romantic-sounding music in the background.

"Hey is that droid playing the recording from my holo-net show? Tell him to stop, I haven't seen the latest episode yet!" Greez shouts back to them from the cockpit and Cal laughs.

"So Greez has been using you to record his favorite show for him and you learned something from it?" Cal asks.

BD-1 beeps a yes before once again beeping his request for Cal to kiss Merrin.

"No BD I'm not going to do that." Cal re-affirms to his droid.

BD-1 argues with him and unfortunately he did have a good point.

"I mean yeah of course I was thinking about it but that doesn't mean that I should do it." Cal says.

"What shouldn't you do?" Merrin asks, startling Cal who forgot she was still in the kitchen cleaning up and making him Force-push his droid onto the couch, to get him away from them as a way to cease the suggestive comments he was making.

Cal thought for a minute about what he should say to Merrin. He didn't want to lie to her. She had bad enough trust issues as it is because of how Malicos lied to her. He didn't want her to think she couldn't trust him or the rest of the crew either. But he didn't exactly want to tell her the truth about what his nosy droid was saying either.

"Follow his suggestions." Cal answers her while giving BD-1 a stern look.

"But I thought you always took his suggestions?" Merrin asks. "He is a helpful droid with good advice no?"

"Well yeah but sometimes it's best to not do what he says because even though he is very smart, he still doesn't know everything." Cal says and BD-1 lets out an annoyed trill.

Merrin lets out an amused chuckle at the droid's distress and gently strokes the top of his head.

"I should spend some more time trying to learn your language. Maybe then I'll be able to understand these secret conversations you have with Cal." Merrin says and BD-1 trills and nuzzles against her hand.

Cal lets out a sigh of relief. But his relief only lasted for as long as his sigh before Greez decided to take this moment to avenge his spoon.

"The droid wants Cal to kiss you!" He shouts back at them and Cal's eyes widen in fear.

Merrin feels her heart leap to her throat and her face heat up.

"Cal, is that true?" Merrin asks softly, while looking at him shyly.

Cal gulps. "Well uh..." He stammers, unsure of what he should say.

"Greez!" Cere scolds him as she swivels her seat to face his. "You shouldn't have interfered in their conversation like that! It was private!"

"Private? Cere it's not private when I have to watch those kids get all blushy and fidgety around each other when they sit next to each other on the couch, and stare at each other with goo-goo eyes from across the table while they compliment each other and get all giggly. It's about time someone pointed out the obvious! Besides, she's already kissed him! So he might as well kiss her back!"

Now that was news to Cal and Merrin.

"Wait what!?" They both exclaim.

"Merrin did you kiss me?" Cal asks, feeling both angry that the girl he was falling for may have taken advantage of him while he was sleeping or with some sort of spell, and confused because he knew Merrin would never do something like that.

"No of course not Cal! Greez what are you talking about? I have never kissed Cal Kestis!" Merrin exclaims.

"Sure you did! Remember when you brought him and Cere back here from Nur? They were both passed out and I saw you making out with Cal while he was passed out with your green smoke going around you two!" Greez calls back to her.

"Oh!" Merrin exclaims, clearly remembering something that made her flustered.

Cal was starting to feel flustered as well.

"Wait Merrin, did you kiss me to save my life or something after you rescued me and Cere?" Cal asks.

His cheeks were starting to turn pink and BD-1 made some teasing beeping noises as Merrin shyly looks away from Cal, brushing her bangs behind her ear as she does so.

"Well...it was a simple resuscitation spell to get the water out of your lungs and replace it with air. It can be done without magic but I used my magic to help make it more effective. I did place my mouth over yours but that was only to breathe air into your lungs so I do not think it counts as a kiss." She explains. "I had to do it for Cere too." She quickly adds to further prove her point that there were no romantic intentions behind what she did.

Cal looks to Cere for confirmation that what she was saying was true and the Jedi nods yes.

"Yes. It's true. She saved my life doing that." Cere says before turning back to her control panel. "Thanks again Merrin."

"You're welcome." Merrin replies.

She looks at Cal and feels relieved once she sees him smiling at her so she smiles back, hoping he couldn't hear her heart pounding as he takes her hand in his and gives it a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks Merrin. I don't know what I would do without you." Cal says.

"Die, probably." Merrin answers him.

Cal laughs from her joke even though it had some truth to it.

"Yeah. You're probably right about that..." Cal says and BD-1 beeps in agreement.

"You are far too reckless for your own good Cal Kestis. You too readily put yourself in harms way and get hurt. You should be more careful on missions." Merrin scolds him.

"I am careful. The injuries I get aren't that bad. You're just too protective of me." Cal says, making Merrin blush. "You don't have to be."

"I would not need to be if you weren't so reckless." Merrin says and pulls her hand away from him and walks towards the cockpit to look at their new surroundings. "Where have we landed?"

"Kashyyk." Cere says, smiling at the wonder on the Nightsister's face as she took in the scenery of the lush forest around the landing pad.

"It's so bright...and green." She says and smiles. "The trees look so full of life and inviting, not threatening like the ones on Dathomir."

"Well there are some dangerous things you've got to watch out for but uh...yeah not as bad as-" He stops when he sees Merrin glare at him.

The Nightsister chuckles when she sees the nervous look on Cal's face, thinking he might have offended her.

"I'm sure you are right Cal Kestis." She says and Cal laughs in relief. "Just as sure as I am that you will find some way to injure yourself on this mission as well."

"Well I wouldn't exactly call this a mission." Greez says.

Cal and Merrin look confused so Cere explains why they're here to them.

"It's a mission to pick up a mission. The Empire has temporarily retreated from this area of Kashyyk but they will probably be back soon with reinforcements so they need people here who can listen in on their frequencies and find out if they're coming and how many of them there will be." Cere explains.

"Okay so while you're doing that, what will the rest of us be doing?" Cal asks.

"Nothing!" Greez exclaims happily. "Cere's the only one who's any good at that stuff, so the rest of us are free to sit back and relax. I'm so excited to have a break for once! Maybe I could try out a new recipe! Oh wait, I can't because my good spoon has ghosts in it now!"

Cal laughs at Greez while Merrin plays with her bangs, clearly debating something in her mind. She comes to a conclusion and gently places her hand over Cal's bicep to turn his attention to her.

"If the Empire is not here, and we have nothing to do, perhaps you could take me to the Origin Tree to meet this Shyyo bird like you said you would?" Merrin asks.

Cal smiles, remembering that he did tell her he would take her there sometime when this was all over. And now was probably as close to "over" as they were going to get for awhile so he might as well make good on that promise now.

"Yeah! I could totally bring you there! You'd love it I'm sure!" Cal exclaims and holds her hands excitedly.

Cere and Greez exchange knowing looks before Greez decides to butt in again.

"That's a great idea! After everything you kids have been through, you deserve a nice date together." Greez says, making Cal's smile fall as his face turns bright red.

Everything was fine until Cal heard the word "date" and now his heart was pounding and his face felt hot. Even BD-1 seems concerned and gently pokes Cal's cheek with one of his feet to make sure he's okay as he stares at the back of Greez and tries to process what he said.

Cere seems just as stunned as she looks back and forth between Greez and Cal, wondering what will happen next.

"Uh..." Cal gulps. "A..date?"

"Date?" Merrin asks, looking confused. "What is a date?"

Cal knew what a date was. Prauf had explained the concept to him once during a phase in their friendship when Prauf kept trying to set him up with some of the girls and then later some of the guy scrappers on Bracca, thinking that it was the gender of the people he was trying to set him up with that was the issue. But eventually he managed to get through to Prauf that the issue wasn't with the people, it was just that he wasn't looking for any sort of relationship. He was afraid to let himself get too close to anyone. He could only trust in the Force. But now, he wasn't a scrapper on Bracca anymore, he was a Jedi with a crew he cared about deeply. Especially Merrin. He trusted in the Force, and the Force brought him Merrin. Maybe now that he finally found someone he wanted to be with in that way, he could give this date thing a try?

BD-1 hops on Cal's shoulder and plays another recording from Greez's show with the same two characters that were kissing before were now eating dinner at a table. Then Greez shooed him away again.

"Hey! What did I say about spoilers!" Greez shouts at the droid.

"So it's eating dinner? Haven't we already done that every night? So we've already been on a date then no?" Merrin asks.

"Well uh...no." Cal says. "A date is when two people who like each other...romantically, go do something together on their own." Cal explains.

“So if you want to go to the Origin Tree with just me, then that would be a date?” Merrin asks.

“Well it could be a date. But it doesn’t have to be if you don’t want it to be.” Cal stresses. “It could just be the two of us hanging out.”

“Alright. I like how that sounds Cal Kestis. I will go and visit this origin tree with you on our non-date date?” Merrin asks, confused by the nature of this outing. And unfortunately so was Cal.

BD-1 beeps from Cal’s shoulder, making the Jedi laugh.

“Well if you don’t mind BD tagging along too? He’ll keep us from getting lost.” Cal says and Merrin smiles at the droid.

“Of course he can come.” Merrin says. “So when shall we go?”

“I just need some help loading supplies onto the Mantis and then you kids can go.” Greez says.

“Sounds like a plan.” Cal says and Merrin nods in agreement.

* * *

"Which poncho do you think Merrin would like on me?" Cal asks the little droid.

BD-1 beeps a reply to him.

"Yeah I know she likes black. And red. But those are the colors that she wears. I don’t know what she thinks would look good on me.” Cal explains.

“I’d go with something that blends into the environment.” Greez says.

Cal looks up and sees Greez standing in the doorway.

“I know the Empire has retreated for now but still, you don’t want to stand out too much. There’s still some dangerous wildlife on this planet.” Greez explains.

“Hey Greez. What are you doing here?” Cal asks the Latero.

“Well I figured that since you’re getting ready to go out on your first date, I should stop by and offer you some of my sage advice on romance.” Greez explains.

Cal’s first thought was to laugh at the Latero’s suggestion. But after thinking it over, he realizes that Greez probably knows way more about love than he does and takes a seat on his cot, ready to listen to the wisdom Greez was about to impart on Cal.

“First of all I think it’s good that you’re putting some effort into your appearance. Not many guys think to do that, especially not scrappers but it looks like you were raised right.” Greez comments and Cal smirks.

“I had two amazing father figures growing up.” Cal explains. “Going on three now.”

“Aw, Cal.” Greez says and gives Cal a brief hug with two of his arms. “You know I’ve always wanted to settle down and have a family, but I haven’t found that special someone yet. Normally your first crush isn’t the love of your life but when I see the way you and that witch-“

“Nightsister.” Cal corrects him.

“Right. Nightsister, care for each other, I can hear wedding bells!” Greez exclaims and Cal chuckles.

“A Jedi getting married...I don’t think that’s ever happened before.” Cal says.

“Well there’s a first time for everything.” Greez says. “This is the first time I’ve ever been in the presence of three magical people. It’s fascinating. Although Merrin’s powers still give me the creeps. Which reminds me, doesn’t her power come from the Dark Side of the Force?” Greez asks. Cal nods yes. “Well then how did you fall in love with her? Aren’t you technically on opposite sides of the Force?”

“Well...technically yes but also no. Nightsisters aren’t like the Sith. They don’t let the Dark Side change who they are by using it’s power. And Merrin is a good person so she uses that power for good now that she’s joined us. It’s funny, I never imagined I’d find someone so powerful yet so sweet on Dathomir of all places. And even though I was terrified when she sent the Nightbrothers and her revived sisters after me, I couldn’t help find her magick beautiful when she used it to help me fight Malicos. And then I realized she was just as beautiful and then next thing I knew I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I still haven’t stopped. Meeting her might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” Cal says.

Greez was smiling at Cal the whole time he was talking. He recognized that lovestruck look and it reminded him of his youth.

"Ah young love. I remember being a young Latero falling in love for the first time." Greez sighs dreamily.

Cal smiles at his friend reminiscing about his past.

"I met her at a gambling table. She swindled my heart. And then after a few months later, my ship and everything in it." Greez sighs and shakes his head.

"Oh..." Cal says, unsure of how to reply. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Eh. It really sucked at the time, but look at me now. I've got the _Mantis_ which is a _much nicer_ ship than the one I had by the way. And I've got the best crew in the galaxy too." Greez says and knocks his elbows against Cal's side. “The important thing I want to make sure you know is that you may have been taught by your Master how to follow the Force, but if you want to be with Merrin you need to learn how to follow your heart.”

“How will I know if I’m following my heart?” Cal asks. “And what if I put myself out there and she doesn’t love me back?”

“Are you kidding me?!?” Greez exclaims. “Cal not only has this girl left the only home she’s ever known for you but she fusses over every little cut and bruise you get but only treats me and Cere if it’s a major injury! Not to mention the brutal deaths by her hand that await anyone who dares to lay harm you in battle! And if that hasn’t made it obvious that she’s sweet on you then I’m seriously starting to question your Jedi observational skills.” Greez says.

"I mean I noticed she cares about me a lot but..." Cal says. “I never thought that that was the reason. Or maybe I did but, I denied it because I couldn’t believe that I could have feelings like that be returned by her.”

“And that’s why you’ve got to follow your heart. Stop denying and ignoring what it’s telling you. You love this girl. Go get her!” Greez encourages. “Love makes you feel so many things in so many ways. You never think that pressing your mouth against someone could make you so happy until it’s the woman you love and then it feels euphoric!” Greez exclaims.

“Thanks Greez. That’s really good advice.” Cal says.

"Hey don't mention it. I'm always happy to pass on my sage advice about love. Especially since I hear that the Jedi Order wasn't really big on teaching you guys that stuff." Greez says and scratches the back of his head.

"Heh. No they weren't. Not really." Cal says and looks at the ground, wondering how his Master would feel about this.

* * *

Merrin looks at her reflection in the mirror and plays with the ends of her bangs. While she wasn't planning on changing into another outfit like Cal was since she had nothing else to wear outside of the ship, she still felt like she should change up her appearance a little bit, like that woman in the holo-vid from Greez’s favorite show that BD-1 had shown her earlier. In the show the woman and one of her friends were talking about how changing up her look would make the man she was trying to woo on her date see her as more attractive.

Merrin certainly wanted Cal to find her attractive this afternoon. So perhaps she could change something up about her appearance but how? She didn’t have any make-up or hair-styling equipment or a female friend with her to help change up her look.

“How’s it going in there?” Cere asks as she knocks on the door.

“Not good.” Merrin says and opens the door for her. “I have no way of changing my appearance to make Cal more attracted to me!”

“What are you talking about?” Cere asks, confused until she realizes what happened “BD-1 showed you one of Greez’s shows didn’t he?” Merrin nods. “Well don’t take everything you see on the holonet at face value. You don’t have to give yourself a makeover for Cal to think you’re pretty. The boy already stares at you like you’re the most beautiful thing in the galaxy.”

“Does he really?” Merrin asks excitedly.

Cere smiles at the look of joy on the young woman’s face.

“All the time.” She assures her before turning Merrin so that they’re both looking in the mirror.

“The point of changing up your appearance on a date isn’t to look completely different.” Cere explains. “It’s to make a little change or two to show that you think the occasion is special enough to be worth spending time to get ready for. Just something to show you care. And if he notices then that means that he cares.”

Merrin’s gaze casts downwards.

“Love was so much easier with Ilyana. I know that may be because we were so young and the feeling of love was so fresh and new to us but at least we both came from the same culture that taught us to express our feelings. It was easy to know how Iyana felt about me, and I her. But with Cal it’s very different. I can’t tell how he feels and I worry that he may not care for me in the way that I care for him.” Merrin admits.

“What makes you think that?” Cere asks.

“Because he is a Jedi. They are not supposed to have attachments. If he loved me, then that would be an attachment. And you heard what he said earlier. He doesn’t want to think of this date as something romantic between us. Clearly he doesn’t feel the same.” Merrin explains.

“He only said that because he’s worried that you might not like him back.” Cere explains. “You’ve both been hiding your feelings out of fear of being rejected by each other.”

“How can you tell?” Merrin asks.

“Because neither of you have been doing a very good job of hiding it.” Cere says. “Now don’t you worry about that whole attachments rule. If Cal really followed it then he wouldn’t be such good friends with me and Greez. And he certainly wouldn’t have agreed to take you on this little outing if he didn’t want to be with you.”

“But how do I know that he is not just being kind to me because I have never seen the galaxy before and he feels it’s his duty as a Jedi to show me?” Merrin asks.

Cere smiles and lets Merrin’s hair loose from her bun.

“I think when he sees you with your hair down for the first time, you’ll have your answer to that question.” Cere says.

* * *

While Merrin and Cere were still inside, Cal was getting some last minute dating advice from Greez.

“Now don’t be afraid to hold her hand. Don’t just grab it, but offer it to her and if she wants to she’ll take it.” Greez explains.

Cal nods, looking back at the door nervously. Still no sign of Merrin. Then he did a double take when she came down the ramp with Cere and her hair was down but half of it was tied up in a small bun.

“Merrin your hair looks great!” Cal compliments with a big smile on his face.

“Thank you.” Merrin says, blushing from the compliment. “Your poncho looks good on you.”

“Oh thanks!” He says and scratches the back of his head with one hand while holding the end of his brown poncho in the other. “So uh...should we get going?”

“Of course. Lead the way.” Merrin says and looks at Cal’s hand as he offers it to her.

She takes it and BD-1 makes some suggestive beeps as he hops on Cal’s shoulder and they head into the woods.

“Hey droid! Remind them to be back by dinner!” Greez calls after the droid before laughing.

“I never thought I’d see a Jedi go on a date.” Cere says. “But then again they’re both claiming it’s not a date so maybe I’ll have a little longer to wait on that one.”

"Hey speaking of Jedi, if things go well for them, then maybe we'll get some Force-sensitive kiddos on this ship after all." Greez jokes, knocking two of his elbows against Cere's side.

Cere chuckles at the Latero's comment as she watches Cal and Merrin disappear into the woods. "I remember what the younglings were like in the Order. You should be careful what you wish for Captain." Cere says, patting his shoulder before turning to return to the ship.

"Wait...what do you mean by that?" Greez asks, suddenly anxious as he watches their young crew members go into the woods. "Do Jedi kids cause a lot of trouble? Are they gonna break things on the ship? Should we be trying to break those two up instead of getting them together?" Greez asks while following Cere back into the ship.

* * *

“So what do you think of Kashyyk so far?” Cal asks.

“It is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.” Merrin says. “There is so much light and life on this planet. And you can see it all around you.”

Cal smiles at Merrin as she looks up at the trees and turns in a circle. She looks so happy to see new surroundings. Cal hopes he can always make her smile like that.

“My only complaint is that it’s a little chilly when we’re not in the sun.” Merrin says and rubs her arms.

Cal knew what to do because Greez had told him. The next thing Merrin knows, Cal is placing his poncho over her.

“Here. That should keep you warm.” Cal says and Merrin blushes.

“But won’t you be cold?” Merrin asks.

"Nah. I’m not that cold. Besides, you look cute in my poncho." Cal says and Merrin laughs.

“Well I did get it from a very cute Jedi.” Merrin says and Cal’s face turns red and his brain short-circuits.

“Huh?” He asks.

“Cal behind you!” Merrin exclaims and shoots a ball of green mist at a flower that had attempted to eat her Jedi.

Cal notices one behind her and grabs her out of the way before pulling her close and cutting the flower with his lightsaber.

“What are those things?” Merrin asks, trying not to think too hard about how close she was to Cal at the moment.

“They’re called saava. They’re flesh eating flowers.” Cal explains.

“Flowers that eat people?!” Merrin exclaims.

Then they hear buzzing above them. Some giant bugs came towards them and Cal began cutting them down so Merrin helped him with her magick.

“And those?” Merrin asks.

“Fireflies. They can kill you too.” Cal explains.

“Ah. So this planet may look nicer but it is still very much like Dathomir where everything wants you dead.” Merrin says.

“In a way, yeah.” Cal agrees.

* * *

Cal and Merrin continue to walk through the woods, protecting each other from the various fauna that threatens to harm them, and finding some non-threatening flowers to place in each other’s hair until they reach a lake.

“We’ll have to swim for awhile to get through the roots.” Cal explains.

“Swimming...” Merrin says.

“Yeah. Is something wrong?” Cal asks.

“Yes. The last time we were both underwater is when you and Cere nearly drowned and I had to save you.” Merrin explains.

Cal understands her anxiety and pulls out his breather.

“Merrin, I have this. It’s called a breather. It’ll let me breathe underwater. So I won’t drown again.” Cal explains and looks at her with a soft gaze.

“Can you promise Cal Kestis?” Merrin asks.

“Yes. I promise.” Cal says and Merrin smiles softly.

“But if you’re still worried I can use BD and see if there’s another way we could go.” Cal explains and the droid displays a map.

“Although it’ll be hard to get there without-“ Cal gets cut off by a large bird landing behind him and Merrin.

It lets out a cry and flaps it’s wings before looking at Cal who had a startled Merrin clinging to him for dear life.

“The Shyyo bird!” Cal gestures to the bird.

“This is the bird you rode?” Merrin asks as she releases her death grip on Cal and watches him pet the bird’s beak.

“Yeah. They’re friendly. Come pet it, Merrin.” Cal encourages.

Merrin cautiously pets it’s beak and smiles as it leans into her. Cal walks around to climb up a branch to mount the bird and then he offers his hand to Merrin to do the same.

She takes it and he pulls her up then blushes as she wraps her arms around him from behind.

The Shyyo bird takes off and once they’re up in the air Merrin’s breath is taken away by the beauty of the jungle in the sunset.

“Oh Cal...” She says softly. “It’s so beautiful!”

“Yeah, it really is amazing. You deserve to see every beautiful sight in this galaxy Merrin, and I’m going to make sure you see them all.” Cal says.

Merrin can’t help herself after hearing that. She leans over his shoulder and presses a quick kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you, Cal Kestis.” She says.

Cal’s face turns red and BD-1 beeps excitedly from his side.

As Merrin nuzzles into back more Cal starts feeling very conflicted with his emotions. He wasn’t expecting Merrin to be so forward. He needed guidance. And there was only one place he could think of to get it from.

* * *

Once the Shyyo bird landed on the tree, Cal helped Merrin off and once both of them were on the tree, they both looked like they had something to say.

“Cal I-“

“I need to go meditate.” Cal interrupts her.

“Oh...do you have to do that now?” Merrin asks.

“Yeah it’s really important!” Cal says. “I’ll be right back I promise.”

And with that Cal runs off with BD-1 scampering after him, leaving Merrin alone with the bird.

“So...do you get around much?” Merrin asks the bird.

* * *

Cal sat in a secluded area of the tree and focused on the Force, begging it for guidance on how to deal with his conflicting emotions about Merrin. Then when he opens his eyes he sees his Master’s ghost kneeling in front of him.

“Master Tapal...” Cal says, his chest tightening at the sight of his Master. “What are you doing here?”

“Answering your call to the Force for guidance by doing what I used to do when you were my Padawan.” Jaro Tapal says and Cal smiles.

“Telling you to get your shit together and stop wasting time!” Tapal exclaims and Cal looks confused. “You have the woman you love out there waiting to tell you she loves you back and you’re here talking to me! Where are your priorities Jedi!”

“With the Force Master!” Cal argues. “That’s why I’m asking for your guidance. I love Merrin but I know that’s against the Order’s teachings. What should I do?” Cal asks.

“I just told you what to do Cal. You need to do what makes you happy. If following the rules of our fallen order is what will make you happy, then follow them. But if being in love with that Nightsister brings you even greater joy, then go and be with her.” Tapal says.

“I’m still torn Master. You told me to only trust in the Force.” Cal says.

“And who did that bring into your life?” Tapal asks.

Cal smiles.

“My answer is clear now. Thank you Master Tapal.” Cal says.

“You’re welcome Padawan. I am so proud of the Jedi you’ve become.” Master Tapal says and ruffles Cal’s hair before he disappears.

Cal gets up and runs back to the clearing, hoping that Merrin wouldn’t be upset with him.

* * *

When Cal returns, Merrin was sitting on a log looking sad. When she sees him coming back to her she stands up and makes her way back over to where the bird was.

“Merrin I have something to tell you!” Cal exclaims once he reaches her.

“You don’t need to tell me Cal Kestis. I already know you are going to reject my feelings because you are a Jedi. It’s alright I understand and I’ll get over-“ Merrin starts her rehearsed speech until Cal grabs her hands and pulls her to face him, resting their hands over his heart.

“Merrin, before you jump to conclusions, can you listen to what I have to say?” He asks.

Merrin, who was doing her best to hold back her emotions to avoid exploding on the man she loves simply nods.

“Merrin I followed the Force like my Master told me to, and it led me to you. And being with you, has brought more light into my life than the Jedi Order ever did. That light came from opening up my heart to you. Merrin my feelings for you have made me an even better Jedi. You, Cere, Greez and BD-1 have given me a reason to become stronger. You’ve given me a reason to live. I may not know what the future holds for me next but I know that I definitely want to be with you.” Cal says.

Merrin could feel tears of joy streaming down her cheeks from Cal’s words. “Oh Cal...” She manages to say while Cal cups her face in his hands and wipes her tears away.

“Merrin I love you.” Cal says and looks at her like she was the most precious thing in the world. “I want to be with you. If you’ll have me.”

“Of course I will! I love you too Cal Kestis.” Merrin says and now Cal was the one tearing up.

Merrin gently places her warm fingers on his neck, trailing them to the red hairs at the nape of his neck and rubbing her thumb gently across his jawline.

Cal leans in closer to her, placing one hand on her hip while the other one reaches up to delicately cup her cheek. He was a bit unsure if this was how she wanted to be touched since the only experience he had with what he knew was about to happen was by watching other people do it. But once she smiles at him and starts to bring her mouth to his, all of those negative thoughts and feelings are replaced with ones of excitement and joy. And he closes his eyes as Merrin gently presses her lips against his.

He had never had someone's mouth against his before. At least not that he remembered anyway. So this feeling of Merrin's mouth against his surprised him at first. But then when he let himself relax and hold her more confidently, he could feel the warmth of her body under his hands and the warmth of her lips against his, he felt his heart get warmer, and a feeling he had never felt before spread through his body. And it felt good. Really good. No, more than good. Kissing the woman he loves feels, euphoric. Just like Greez had told him it would.

Merrin makes a soft grunting noise as Cal tightens his grip on her ever so slightly and begins to move his lips against hers, trying to match her rhythm. She presses her body a bit closer to his and gently moves the hand that was at the nape of his neck up through his hair, making Cal groan softly. She gasps as he begins to move his hands as well. The one on her cheek moving to the back of her head to thread through her hair, and the one that was on her hip, makes it's way over to her lower back and pulls her body flush against his, making them both gasp briefly in surprise of their proximity to each other and for air before they both capture each other's lips again in a deeper kiss.

BD-1 trills and beeps his encouragement to them from the side of the clearing with the Shyyo bird while hopping happily from side to side on his scomp links in excitement. Even the Shyyo bird gives them a soft cry of encouragement to state it's approval without ruining the moment.

Merrin felt her heart begin to race as Cal became more confident in his actions. The movement of his lips against hers could use some work still but the feeling of his warm, strong hands moving against her body made up for that. It had been so long since she had embraced someone she cares about like this. So long since she had been so close to someone she loves. As she runs her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck, she rubs her thumb on that same hand along the scar on his jaw. Then she brings her other hand down from his neck to his shoulder as he presses his lips firmly against hers and she moans as she lets herself bask in the euphoria of this moment of feeling the body of the man she loves pressing against hers, and how perfect it felt.

Well, almost perfect. His lightsaber that was clipped onto his belt must have slipped between them because she could feel it pressing gently against her thigh. But she doesn't want to ask him to remove it. She remembers him telling her how precious those weapons were to a Jedi. They were an extension of themselves, he had told her. There was no way she would ever ask him to remove something so precious to him. The feeling of a lightsaber poking against her thigh was just something that came with kissing a Jedi. She could get used to it.

She begins to feel a bit bolder so she arches her back slightly, pressing her chest a bit more firmly against his and tilting his head down to apply more pressure to their kiss. He groans against her lips again and instinctively holds her tighter to maintain their close contact. But then that noise combined with the firmer pressure she was feeling of his lightsaber against her thigh, felt more like something else that she was more familiar with due to her occasional flings with some of the Nightbrothers.

Cal feels her stiffen in his hold and he opens his eyes to see if she was showing any signs of discomfort on her face. He panics for the briefest of seconds, worried that he somehow messed up and did something that upset her. But once he sees her beautiful brown eyes shining with joy, and her dark lips curled in a bright smile, relief washes over him and his own happiness returns and reflects the emotions on her face.

"Cal." She breathes softly.

His heart skips a beat at the sound of how sweet his name sounds when she says it like that.

"Merrin." He breathes softly back to her and can't help but peck his lips against hers again.

She giggles and he does it a few more times, smiling more against her lips with each peck.

Neither of them could remember a time that they felt this happy. So Merrin felt a bit guilty that she was about to put an end to it but she had never gotten farther than kissing with Ilyana because they were both so young when they loved each other. And even though Cal was a man, she did not think of him as just some fling with a Nightbrother that she would have in order to vent her frustration and boredom and to continue the traditions of her fallen sisters.

Cal meant much more to her than that. She loved him just as she had loved Ilyana. So it didn’t feel right to rush things with him. She wanted to take her time, learning how it felt to be with him and take each new step in this relationship together. So as much as she didn't want to stop kissing him, she had to be sure they were on the same page.

"Cal." She says again once they release each other to catch their breaths. "Your lightsaber-"

"Oh." Cal says and moves his hand to his hip where his weapon was secured. "Sorry it must have been uncomfortable to have that thing rubbing against your..."

Merrin watches his face intently as his hand feels that where his lightsaber was placed was nowhere near her thigh. She watches as his mind runs through all of the possibilities of what it else it could be, waiting for him to finally take a mental assessment of his body. And the look of shock on his face that quickly turns red with embarrassment when he finally figures it out was so priceless that Merrin had to bite her bottom lip to keep from smiling.

"Oh kriff!" Cal shouts and quickly pushes himself off of her.

Merrin's resolve cracks and she can't help but laugh at him as he backs away from her, covering his crotch with both of his hands. BD-1 joins in with the Nightsister, tipping over onto the ground and kicking his scomp-links in the air and beeping with laughter. Even the Shyyo bird lets out a series of short shrill cries that resemble laughter.

_Poor Cal._ Merrin thinks as she looks at her flustered Jedi trying to avoid eye-contact with her out of embarrassment of his current situation. She makes her way over to him to reassure him that she wasn't upset with him and he immediately blurts out as many apologies as he can get out once he notices her approach him.

"Merrin I am so, so sorry!" He stresses to her.

"What are you sorry for?" She asks him. "That happened because you enjoyed kissing me no?"

"Well...yeah." Cal says softly and looks at the ground awkwardly. "I'm sorry because I obviously enjoyed it _a lot_ more than I thought I would." He smiles a bit and runs his hand through his hair, making Merrin's cheeks tinge slightly. "It's not that I don't think you're attractive...in _that_ way. I mean, that much is obvious now." Cal says and laughs a bit before his face gets red again and he smacks his hand against his forehead. "Kriff! I shouldn't have said that!" He mutters under his breath.

Merrin couldn't help but giggle. The way he was fumbling with explaining his attraction to her was so endearing. She adds that to her mental list of reasons she loves this man.

"Cal, it's alright, really!" Merrin pleads to him with a reassuring smile.

"Is it though?" Cal asks, still trying to wrap his head around how quickly his body had reacted to such close physical contact with her. "I mean all I did was kiss you and then next thing I know-"

"Your lightsaber ignites." Merrin says while holding the weapon in front of herself and turning it on.

Cal gives her a deadpan look. She must have unclipped it from his belt while he was distracted. But he couldn't help but feel calmer now that he could tell that she was clearly only amused by the situation and not disappointed like he feared. And damn that joke was really funny. Ever since she had set foot on the Mantis, her deadpan jokes had made him laugh. And even though he was still embarrassed by what happened, he was also happy that it made Merrin laugh so much.

"I mean, we were kissing a lot." Merrin says and sways his lightsaber in her hand slightly. "And you said this was your first time being in love, much less doing anything physical with anyone. I honestly should have seen it coming. No pun intended." Cal snorts and Merrin continues. "Besides, it's not like I didn't react at all either..." Merrin says and looks away from him shyly while swaying his lightsaber from side to side.

Cal was shocked to hear this news. Shocked and excited. Now he was flustered for a different reason. He could hear BD-1 let out a low trill that sounded almost like a whistle and he felt his cheeks heat up slightly.

"Wait...really?" He asks her.

She looks up at him and smiles and nods gently.

"Yes. I find you very attractive too Cal Kestis." Merrin says. "And I also like being physical with you very much."

"So do I!" Cal quickly blurts out and holds her hands. "But you uh...already knew that. Because I...said it." He says embarrassingly as he lets her hands go.

She laughs again and turns off his lightsaber before giving it back to him.

"You don't want to keep playing around with it?" He asks her as he clips the weapon back onto his belt.

"Oh you would like that wouldn't you?" She asks and starts to walk back towards the Shyyo bird.

Cal is confused at first but then he sees her smirking at him over her shoulder and realizes her joke. He smiles at her, looks at the ground and bites his lip. Then he looks back up at her before immediately breaking into a run towards her.

Merrin lets out an excited shriek of surprise as he chases her towards the bird. It squawks in surprise and lifts it's wings as it watches the two lovers chase each other around underneath them. BD-1 hops from side to side, trying to figure out what paths they were both taking to try to predict Merrin's next move. Once he has a guess with a 90% probability of happening, he beeps it to Cal.

Cal smiles at his droid and changes course and catches Merrin in his arms as she comes around the bird's body towards him. Both of them laugh as he picks her up and spins her around in his arms. He holds her up a bit higher so her head was blocking out the sun, forming a halo of light around her head that makes her look like even more of a goddess than she already was.

"I haven't felt this much joy since the day I was assigned Master Tapal to be his Padawan." Cal says as he sets her back down on the ground. "I love you so much Merrin."

"I haven't felt this much joy since I learned my first spell with my Mother." Merrin says. "I love you too Cal Kestis."

They kiss again, and it lasts for about a minute before BD-1 hops onto Cal's shoulder and beeps something to him.

"Speaking of family, it's getting close to the curfew Cere gave us." Cal reminds Merrin.

"Yes it is. Although I would like to be a little rebellious and stay here, alone with you in this tree to keep kissing you..." Merrin says and slides her arms around his neck and starts to lean into him.

"Well when you put it like that then I guess she can wait-ow!" Cal yelps after BD-1 kicks him gently in the side of the head with one of his scomp-links.

"Okay fine. We'll be good. Wouldn't want to be late for Greez's steak dinner tonight anyway." Cal says and Merrin giggles.

* * *

Cere was setting the plates on the table when she heard the doors to the ship open and saw Cal and Merrin walk in. Immediately she could tell that it had gone well because of how they were holding hands and blushing at each other. She smiles at them, proud that they had found light and joy within each other in this dark age of fear that the galaxy was in.

Greez was carrying his plate of steak to the table when he noticed their return and like Cere, he too could pick up that something good had happened between those two.

"Oh! I see Merrin is wearing your poncho." Greez says and goes over to them while still carrying his plate.

Cal and Merrin smile at each other before turning back to Greez while BD-1 scampers over to Cere.

"Merrin was feeling cold so I lent it to her." Cal explains.

"Awwww...Isn't he such a gentleman?" Greez asks Merrin.

Cal blushes while Merrin smiles at Greez.

"He is very gentle. And a man." Merrin says and everyone laughs while she takes off his poncho. "But more importantly he is a good man. With a good heart. That's what makes him a good Jedi." Merrin says while folding the poncho before pressing it against Cal's chest. "And I'm so happy to have him as my Jedi." Merrin says before kissing Cal.

Cere blinks in surprise before she realizes this is happening while BD-1 beeps with joy. A Jedi was kissing someone they have feelings for right before her eyes. She never thought she'd see the day... and apparently neither did Greez.

"Whoa!" Greez exclaims and drops his dish on the floor, breaking it and letting the steak hit the floor.

_Lucky bogling will get some steak tonight._ Cal thinks.

"Why are you so surprised?" Merrin asks and rests her head against Cal's chest.

"Yeah you're the one who set us up on this date. And you said you knew we had feelings for each other." Cal reminds him then kisses the top of Merrin's head and rests his head against hers.

"Yeah I knew that but I didn't think you two would get together after the first date!" Greez exclaims. "Oh goodness, I have so much work to do now!" He says as he makes his way to the back of the ship.

"What work are you doing?" Cere calls back to him.

"Expanding the ship! Now that these two are officially in love we're gonna need space for all of the babies we're gonna have on board!" Greez shouts back.

Cal and Merrin's faces both turn red and they push each other away and avoid eye contact. Cal anxiously runs his hand through his hair and Merrin nervously plays with the sleeve of her shirt.

Cere couldn't help but smirk at the young couple's shyness with each other.

"I don't think you need to get started on that just yet Greez!" Cere calls back to him.

The Latero laughs before rejoining them in the kitchen.

"I know I was just teasing them!" Greez says and Cal and Merrin look relieved.

"But in all seriousness I am making plans to install a door to the engine room. Especially now that these two will probably want some privacy. Then they can do whatever it is a Nightsister and Jedi do behind closed doors and neither of us will have to _see_ or _hear_ it!" Greez stresses and glares at them. "You two remember the rules I gave you when Cal first brought you aboard? Rule #4, if it gets too loud you'll be flying in the clouds!"

"Would you seriously throw them out of the ship while it's flying in the air for something like that?" Cere asks him.

"They've got a bird friend now, if I throw them out it'll catch them!" Greez says and Cal and Merrin laugh.

"Don't worry. No one will have to be throwing anybody out of the ship and I'll make the door myself. I just need to find the parts." Cal says.

"Does this mean we're going to go back to Bracca just so these kids can get a door?" Greez asks worriedly.

"We don't have to go back there specifically. But I also wouldn't mind getting some other stuff too." Cal says. “I know the scrapyards pretty well. I could find stuff easily.”

“Stuff like what?” Greez asks.

"Well for one thing, my cot is just barely big enough for myself. So I've been thinking about getting a new bed. And maybe it could be one that's big enough for both myself and Merrin..." Cal suggests.

"That's a nice idea..." Merrin says and smiles at Cal while picturing the two of them snuggling together on a bed in her mind.

"If that engine room is gonna become our space then I want to make it comfortable for both of us. I'll build you anything you want. Just say the word." Cal says and squeezes her hand and Merrin blushes.

"Hey before you two get carried away with building your little honeymoon suite back there, remember that the Mantis is still my ship so I have to approve of any changes you make! And while we're on the topic of this being my ship, let me remind you two of the other rules!" Greez says.

Cal wraps his arm around Merrin and she leans into his side as they settle in to hear Greez's lecture.

"Rule #1, if a stain could show, the couch is a no!"

"Rule #2, without four arms to spare stay out of the captain's chair!"

"Rule #3, if anyone's cooking, Greez will be looking!"

“What our Captain is trying to say is, if the two of you are going to be doing anything on this ship outside of your rooms, make sure it’s while we’re not here and that you clean up really well!” Cere interrupts, causing the Latero to panic.

“Whoa whoa whoa wait a minute Cere don’t encourage them to break my rules! Now we can never leave them alone on this ship or else I won’t be able to sit on the couch or in my chair without thinking about what might have happened in it!” Greez complains.

But neither Merrin or Cal were listening at that point. They were too engrossed in the warm, happy feeling of just being in love with each other and being able to be together in a way that they never thought they could be. Perhaps it was the will of the Force that caused them to both lose everything, so that they could find each other and adapt to this new world in a way neither of them expected to. With true love.

**Author's Note:**

> I know this was long but I hope you all enjoyed it! Please comment if you read it! Also Greez’s rules aren’t made up! They’re a real thing, along with his special spoon! It was one of the conversations they had on the ship.


End file.
